


In Between

by cb150681



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-06 20:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10344402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cb150681/pseuds/cb150681
Summary: This Story starts with Eleanor leaving with Sebastian for her new "job". Jasper told her that he was the one for her and he meant it so he intent to get her back.This story tell what happen in between!





	1. She is leaving

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank to my amazing friend and editor @justkillingtimewhileiwait, you're amazing!

Jasper approached the window to watch her leave. 

Eleanor waited for Sebastian to open her the door, as she was expected to as a princess, but some cloud travel through her head making her think she was not doing this as a princess but as a woman with a life of her own, so she cut Sebastian off on the way and opened the door by herself. She entered the car and waited for him to take his place. 

Sebastian smiled, surprise by her actions but happy for her determination. As he entered the car he said, "You don't have to prove anything to me Princes... sorry... Eleanor." 

"I know I don't, but I want to be Eleanor as much as I can, I really want to leave the princess behind!" 

He nodded, smiling and ordered the driver to leave. 

From the window Jasper watched how confident she was and felt guilt for wanting her to stay.  In that moment a couple options to stop them passed through his head. He could order the guards to stop them at the gate with some excuse, just to give him time to talk to her on more time, to convince her that he was the one for her and that they, together, would figured all this out and that he was the one that would make her happy. He could also make a fake bomb threat call to the airport where Sebastian's private plane was stationed.  Or even order a surprise inspection for drugs on the private plane. 

He shook his head and cleared his mind from all this craziness simply because he couldn't do that to her. She deserved to be happy and these six months would be perfect for her to find herself, find a meaning for her life. She had dedicated her life to the monarchy since day one. He saw how unhappy she was most of the time, even when she had everything that she could wish for. She wanted to finally do something for herself and this was it. He couldn't take this from her. He was not that selfish. But six months was a very long time, she was leaving them behind, and that was very hard to digest, even Jasper couldn't blame her for doing it. He loved her to much to take an opportunity like this from her.   

* * *

 

"So what's our first destination?" Eleanor wanted to know. 

"Can it be a surprise?" Sebastian smirked at her. 

She frowned. "Yes, why not? Let it be a surprise!" 

"But we are going close for our starting location! And you're going to love this place!" Sebastian remarked, excitedly picking up Eleanor's hand. 

She observed his gesture and didn't say a word. Her mind traveled back to the palace and all that she had left behind. Her mother alone, because apparently her bother, King Robert has decided to imposed his wishes by letting go the only friend that her mother really could rely on in the palace. Her bother Liam who was fighting his own demons and she really didn't know how to help him. Little Sarah Alice, her bff lately, that managed to make her smile just by walking into her room like she owned the world. That little girl was the most grown up child that she ever met and an amazing match maker. Eleanor could not help but smile remembering how the little girl managed to make the sweetest and most incredible Christmas present that she ever received. That story book made her question all her decisions and for a split second she pictured herself back in Jasper's arms again. 

When Jasper came to her mind she felt a chill. She had left him behind too. He asked her not to but she did. And she already missed him. When they first started this game they played so badly, she never paid much attention to him, she started to hate him for god sake, but now she could remember every little piece of him and she smiled at how serious he was on the job, or how he always have a shy smile on his face when he was around her and the sad eyes he always had that would light up when she came on his horizon. The way he was only goofy around her was one of her favorite secrets. She missed his dark blond messy hair that she loved to rearrange with her fingers making him shiver. Oh she missed his perfect mouth, angular cheekbones and his hands, his beautiful hands almost feminine but strong enough to make her day dream about his touch. She loved how tall he was and the height difference between them that made her fit perfectly under his chin. She missed his hug, his touch, his scent and most of all she missed knowing she had him finally. 

But Jasper ruined everything. Yes he had a shady past and probably that would always be used as something to jeopardize her, but by this time he should already have known he could trust her and he should have come to her for help. Leaving him behind was the hardest thing that she ever done. 

Releasing her hand from Sebastian's, she looked through the window as they passed the palace gates.  Who was she kidding, she would never be able to get pass that man, no matter how far away she would be from him.   

She picked her phone out from her bag and scrolled for Jasper's contact.  She stared at the screen, at his shy smile that she so much loved, but then put the phone down again.  

"It's everything okay Eleanor?" Sebastian asked, noticing that a single tear was falling down her cheek. 

She cleaned it and nodded. "Yes it is all OK!" Picking up the phone again she wrote something and pressed send releasing a sigh. 

Sebastian notice her discomfort and maybe a bit of sadness that was written in her eyes but he chose not to comment and let her be, after all she was leaving her life as princess on hold for six months and all she knew was staying behind. 

* * *

 

Jasper waited until he saw the car pass through the palace gates, he felt his heart shrink as he witnessed her going away. What was he going to do without her was the big question now. Still facing the window but not seeing anything his mind traveled back to their last conversation and how broken she looked when he kissed her on the cheek and felt her warm tears falling. How could he hurt her so much was something that he would never forgive himself for. 

Turning his back to the window he cleared the welled up tears from his eyes and prepared himself to face King Robert and the madness that was instilled in this Palace. Walking away he felt his phone buzz. 

A wave of some mixture between fear and happiness ran through his body as he saw Eleanor's name on the screen.  

"I'm not leaving US behind!" Was written in the text box.


	2. The Text

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor still can't let the palace behind!

Queen Helena stormed out from King Robert's room, stumbling upon Jasper on her way. She looked at him with contempt and spit her words. "Good Luck in there! Jasper!"  

Jasper smiled and walked in the room, not acknowledging the despite as she said his name. She was upset and he always was one of her favourite punching bags, so he didn't give her the pleasure of him returning the rudeness and entered the room. 

King Robert was at his desk reading what appeared to be a newspaper, without even facing Jasper he asked. "How many surveillance cameras are around the library?" 

Jasper took a moment to think, "If I recall right there are three, each one facing one door. May I ask why your Majesty?" 

King Robert smiled and still not facing him said. "Yes you may ask but that doesn't mean I have to tell you! Mind your manners Mister Frost. You can go!"  

Jasper felt the heat in his stomach burn, the king was trying to get on his nerves since Eleanor left. But Jasper was not going to give him reasons to fire him so he turned his back before he excused himself and left closing the door behind him but King Robert added a last order. "And call Mr. Hill here please!" 

Jasper didn't give himself the bother to answer him, just nodded and left the room.       

It's had been two days since Eleanor left, two days that Jasper didn't sleep for more than three to four hours. He kept playing in his head ideas on how to keep in touch with her. He wanted her to enjoy this time of her life but the memory that she was with that Sebastian guy just make him sick. And she did send him that text that he read and read so many times. He answered back but she didn't return. "I will fight for US" he texted her but he got nothing in return. Basically, he felt like a school girl for the number of times that he checked his phone, day and night. But she had been radio silent since she left. 

* * *

Jasper was looking at the monitors, feeling his body go numb. The lack of sleep was finally taking over him, he let out a yawn and didn't notice Mr. Hill enter the surveillance room, making him jump in surprise when he asked, "So how long are you not sleeping? Four, five days?"  

Jasper rubbed his face hard trying to look more awake. "More or less, yes!" Releasing a sigh he added, "Basically I spend the nights tossing around the bed trying to figure out a way to make her accept me back."    

Mr. Hill smiled at his commitment. "you have to give her time mate! She needs it!" 

"Yeah, I know!" 

"Did you even tell her how you feel about her before she left?" 

Jasper smirked. "Yes, I did! I said I loved her and that I was the one for her!" 

Mr. Hill nodded, "Bold! And?" 

"And what? I watched her leave with that prince or something and did nothing because she will hate me even more if I did something to stop them." 

"Look I'm still not OK with the way you handle things…" 

"I already said I'm sorry!" Jasper cut him off. 

Mr. Hill paused and faced him before speaking. "Jasper at this time a sorry is not enough. Not for me and apparently not for the princess either. By now you were supposed to trust us, but you don't learn and I assure you that you are lucky if she is even talking to you! But as I was saying I'm still not totally ok with you and your manners but I'm a soft heart and a big shipper of your love so maybe, just maybe you should keep with the letter thing." 

Jasper stood silent for awhile. "I don't know, she said she send me a letter on Christmas but there was no letter in our secret spot. Lost me completely when she told me what was in the letter. And guess it gets on my nerves the fact that I will not be able to read it." 

"Use another spot. I think it's a good way to show her how much you want her back. And I can't believe that I'm telling you this!" Mr. Hill finished waving his head and smiling to himself.  As he looked back at the monitors he noticed Prince Liam leave the Palace through the tunnels. "And you better go because your friend is heading to his extracurricular activities again." He said showing Jasper the image of Liam going out with a black hoody with his head covered.  

Jasper didn't say a word, just turned his back and left. He was indeed the King's security detail but he was not leaving his friend going to his fights alone. Who knew what could happen in that place. 

When Mr. Hill was alone in the room he tried to look for the Christmas day footage. The King had asked him to delete that day on the cameras around the library with no reason or justification. After all, he was the King and he could do what you wanted and unlike his father, he liked to impose his sovereignty and didn't like to be questioned about it. 

But Mr. Hill was an old fox and he knew better so he informed his majesty the King that the records had been deleted but he kept one copy for him to investigate when he had time. 

He watched the footage on fast forward to see if something strange popped up but he didn't see anything strange or remarkable, just the Princess entering and then leaving, some staff members and King Robert. 

Mr. Hill put the footage aside but moments later was looking at the videos again, because King Robert seemed to be watching the princess in a strange way, almost like he was spying on her. Playing the footage again he noticed some movement inside the room that was impossible to see clearly because of the angles of the cameras. But Mr. Hill was almost sure that someone was in the library right after Princess Eleanor left. Now he was almost sure that someone had taken that letter from their spot and he could be wrong but he was almost certain that King Robert was the one to blame. 

* * *

Eleanor was amazed by Sebastian's property in West Sussex. It looked like a little palace facing the sea, literally on the beach, with an amazing view to one of the most beautiful sunsets she ever saw. She was thrilled with this opportunity, and she owed a lot to Sebastian for it. Her head was bubbling of ideas on how to furnish it and give that old house a new and fancy look of a modern palace. 

They had arrived two days before and she had already planned the guidelines of the renovation project, and she couldn't be more excited about it, but it was bittersweet. She felt good and useful and productive like she never felt before but when they arrived and Sebastian showed her the house and then the backyard with that amazing view the only thing she wanted was to have Jasper by her side.  

"Still can't unplug yourself from home, right?" Sebastian asked noticing her face falling flat and a sad smile taking over her lips.  

She didn't answer him but traveled back to the Palace and to Jasper mostly.   

Sebastian took her silence as "I don't want to talk about it" so he let her be.  

The village nearby, Rustington was a sweet place, small and charming but the beach was a little crowded for her taste. Although she really was enjoying this first spot. "I really like this place you know? Really good choice for my first work!" She said cheerily, trying to put aside the feeling that was consuming he. She somehow felt she was doing something wrong and that she was leaving something important behind.  

Sebastian gave her a big smile and hugged her quick. "Glad you like it! And do you already have ideas for the house?"  

"I have yes! I have a lot of ideas actually! When can we start?" She asked enthusiastically. 

Sebastian let loose a laugh and walked inside the house to listen to Eleanor's ideas. 

The house staff received them with the proper ways for a Princess and Eleanor was not surprised by that, after all, Sebastian was a prince too and she felt very pampered by them. 

At the end of the day when the sun was almost going down, she came to a little outside round terrace that had the most amazing view of the house. For that place, she had planned a breakfast corner. Looking to the sea and listening to the waves she felt herself relaxing and thinking about Jasper again. This place was so beautiful and she really wanted him with her, as upset as she was with him and no she was not ready to forgive him or to have him back. She missed him like hell though.  

When the sunset started she stood and tried to memorize that image like she was taking a picture. It was so so beautiful. She felt a single tear fall down her cheek and her hand unconsciously grabbed the void where Jasper's hand should have been. When she realized what she was doing she went back inside, wiping away two more tears. Why did he always chose the dumbest and wrong way to solve his problems? Why did he still not trust her? The questions swirled in her head.  

She felt conflicted, picking up her phone several times to text him or even call him the last three days. But she never did, something stopped her every time. She didn't know if it was her pride or her being so hurt or even the fact that Sebastian was right there always smiling and making an effort to distracted her from her demons. The truth was she didn't do it! But she wanted to so bad. 

On the second night, she had the feeling that someone was in her room and when she turn on the light Sebastian was sitting on a chair with his hands resting on his legs that were crossed, he looked like a statue. 

"I heard you talking so I came to check on you," He said in a whisper. 

She rubbed her face, trying to wake herself. "What was I saying?" 

Sebastian laughs lightly. "Apparently you were fighting your security detail… again!"

She looked down at her hands. "Well, I have a lot of things to say to him apparently."  

"Hope this time away help you fix that!" 

She nodded, "Well me too! Sebastian?" 

He raised his head facing her, he looked sleepy but his smile was still there. "Yes, Princess!" 

"Eleanor, please! And thank you was what I wanted to say. Thank you for this opportunity, for your patience and mostly for the respect that you have for me and my messy head!" 

He got up from the chair he was sitting on and sat on the bed close to her. He reached for her hand and gave it a little squeeze. 

"You're welcome! And now go to sleep ok! Good night."

She was restless in the bed for a while after he left, trying to not think of Jasper,  until she finally fell asleep but he haunted her dreams all night long! When she woke up the next morning she felt a little more relaxed than the day before maybe the conversation that she had during her sleep were enough to clear her heart.

When she looked at her phone to check the hour she saw a message.

"Sarah Alice wants you to send her pictures from the places where you are working!"

Eleanor grinned, remembering her little friend, she got up and from the window of her room she took a picture and sent it to James. "Here is the place where I'm working this day little friend!"

And before she hit send it came to her that maybe, just maybe James could show the text to Jasper so, out of the blue decided to put there, something that only he could understand. "Still here" She added with two emojis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment! I took me a while to assume that this chapter was any good so I would love to hear your thoughts.


	3. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper decides to tell Eleanor his story!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the delay on the update but life always manage to keep me away from my writing!
> 
> @justkillingtimewhileiwait as always thank you so much!

Jasper was at Mr. Hill's desk when Sarah Alice entered the room.

"What are you doing?" She asked, tilting her head to the side and putting her hands on her hips. She spoke with her usual bossy, inquiring but sweet childish tone and Jasper could not resist smirking at her when she spoke like this. "I'm writing a letter missy!"

She came closer to him wanting him to pick her up. "Is it for the Princess?" He could not smile again. "Yes, it is for the Princess! Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Yes, it is! I asked my father to text her, telling her I want her to send pictures from the places where she is working!" Jasper felt his heart race a bit. "And did she answer back?" He asks in anticipation.

"Yes, she did and showed me the place she is at these days. It has a beautiful garden with sea side view! She is very happy! But I think she misses you, so it's a good thing that you're doing, writing her letters." Sarah Alice informed him like she was an expert on the matter.

Jasper kissed the top of her head. "You're very wise my little friend! Very wise! And can you show me that picture that she sent to you?" Jasper was dying to know where she was, how she was and what was she doing. Letting her go was hard and keep it together here without her was even harder.

"I will ask my father!" She said already leaving the office. Leaving Jasper daydreaming about the possibility of seeing Eleanor's face again. Jasper was tired. Liam was hard work to handle, Robert was getting on his nerves and Eleanor was keeping him awake most of the nights, simply because he couldn't fall asleep without picturing her turning her back on him over and over again. But today he wanted to write this letter, he was determined to do it, even knowing that she won't read it, if she read it, for a long time. He wanted to tell her about his days and how he was not liking King Robert's ways to keep the Palace going and working. He wanted to tell her that he missed her and that he wanted to have her close to him, and that he was an asshole but he will fix this and he will show her that, like he said, he was the one for her. Well maybe he should not tell her all this in just one letter but he wanted to do right by her. And he couldn't deny he felt closer to her when he wrote for her.

* * *

These days in Sebastian's company had been good. He really was simple and easy going like she had said to Jasper, but she was not completely relaxed. When she was busy she felt good and worthy but when they had some quiet moments she couldn't stop herself from thinking what Jasper may be doing or if Jasper was thinking of her or not. She got mad at herself mostly because she was supposed to be mad at Jasper, disappointed and hurt, but all she could feel was how much she miss him, his goofy smile, his clumsy ways around her, his morning kiss, his hug that made her feel safe. One thing she missed the most was how affectionate he was with her. In the beginning, when they were just sex and blackmail, she never felt the need to have him close to her. There was no urge to enlace her fingers with his and hug him, but then when they briefly became a thing, one of the best parts, was how touchy he was with her. It felt like he needed to touch her, to feel her, to be sure she was real. He'd confessed as much once when she mention his behavior. The spark she always felt when he intertwined his fingers with hers and gazed in her eyes made her feel like an amazing woman that only he knew.

She felt very loved when they were together that's for sure. And that feeling, that you are so loved, that give you strength to face all the trash and damage that the Monarchy can bring to your life, that feeling was something that only Jasper had the ability to make her feel. She missed the strength that his love gives her. It was the hardest part to handle when he turned his back on her. She felt lost and vulnerable again. But in the end, she could not hate him. Here far away from the palace and the madness of the royal family she could breath again and this work was very fulfilling but she didn't know how long was she could stay away when thoughts of him had floated in her head most of the day. 

* * *

 

Before he could start his letter he was called by King Robert. As always some crazy situation about another employee from the Palace that was not approved by the King. The Queen was in the room but silent in the wake of the King's attitude.

She approached Jasper. "How is Liam?"

Jasper was surprised by the simplicity used by the Queen, showing she was getting tired of her older son and fearing for her younger. "Well, your majesty I believe he is in his room!"

Queen Helena scowled and using a more serious tone now she demanded a proper answer. "You know what I mean Mister Frost!"

Jasper thought about what to say. He didn't want to expose his friend but he knew the Queen had already notice Liam's absence of late. "It's all under control your highness."

She shrugged knowing that Jasper was hiding something important but these days she trust Jasper more than anyone else. Well, really, she didn't know who to trust anymore. Her eldest son was acting like a tyrant now that he wore the crown and she didn't recognize him anymore. Her girl was away and although she understood her reasons, she was not happy about the situation. And her younger son was missing most of the time. Jasper was her only trusty resource in the palace because she knew Mr. Hill had orders to follow if he wanted to keep his job. Jasper bent, excusing himself from her presence and went to check on Liam. 

* * *

 

Jasper returned from Liam's fight, Liam dragging himself behind his bodyguard. Jasper was pissed.

"You need to stop this! This is insane!" Liam only answer was silence. When they get to his room Liam dropped himself on the bed and waved his hand silently dismissing Jasper. Jasper took his leave but was annoyed and decided to get back to his writing. He picked up the paper and read the letter to himself.

_Dear Eleanor,_

_When I was little, one of the first things my father taught me was how to pick pockets! At the age of ten, I was a professional and spend my life all over casino floor's, around old lady's, picking their pockets._

_My father was very proud of me at that time. I grew up like that, in that universe. My parents never showed me what love was, they seemed to be only two partners that worked together and party together every time one of their cons went well. I seemed to be some kind of accident because I always felt like I was a burden for them. The concepts of family, love, self-respect, trust and care for each other was something I never was taught. I basically raise myself._

_When I entered the security business my father thought I was the smartest man alive, because that was the perfect way to rob, from the inside. But when I told him that that wasn't my intention he basically disowned me, not that he had a big bequest to give me but it was like I ceased to exist for him._

_I ended up being pretty good at it to spite him. Imagine that "Jasper Frost actually being really good at something that is not illegal! Who new!" I ended up deciding that I already put up with them too much and decided to come here and start fresh. But bad habits die hard and a few months after I settled here I already had found one or two pals to enter the con business again._

_You know I came here to rob you! You know that the first time that we slept together was just sex and maybe the second too, I may confess. You're hot and messy and I enjoyed the task but somewhere between the first days I fell in love with you. Before I admitted it to myself, before I admitted it to someone else, too soon and too quick, you stole my heart and you never give it back to me! I miss you and I won't ever give up on you!_

Jasper fold the paper in a square put it in an envelope and checked the security cameras. With no one at the site he went to the princess's room and left his letter in the top draw of her night stand.

"Let's hope no one will steel this from us here!" He mumbled to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy! Let me know your thoughts!


	4. The Matchmaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah Alice is Jaspenor biggest shipper!

Former King Cyrus stormed in current King Robert's chambers without announcing himself as he pushed the guards away. Jasper ended up tackling him lightly trying to avoid a bigger mess than this day already was. 

"You can't throw me out of the Palace. You already took my room. Isn't that enough for you?" Cyrus almost barked. 

King Robert raised his gaze from the desk where he was seated at doing God knows what and with an unhealthy joker smile on his face and informed his uncle. "I'm the king and I really can do whatever I want to you my dear uncle. First, because I despite you and second because you are not worthy to be here." 

Cyrus tried to contradict him but ended up turning his back saying that he was not leaving. 

Jasper didn't like Cyrus but this was getting out of proportions in his opinion. He knew Cyrus and Liam were putting together some plan, and he also knew that it had something to do with the king. But when he called out Liam about the not clever alliance between uncle and nephew, Liam simply said that he had no one he could trust right now and in the end it was true. 

However, the King was no fool and was already suspicious of this recent friendship. So Jasper's now focused his all attention on King Robert to prevent him to find out about Cyrus and Liam conversations and to prevent him from finding out about Liam's nights out and also to prevent the Queen from learning about all this mess. It was almost impossible to rest his head and when he did, something always happen to disturb him. 

"Jasper where are you?" He heard Sarah Alice call through the King's doors. Thank God this little girl was here to cheer him up. And to think that when she came to the Palace, Jasper cursed Mr. Hill for it. Now she was his best distraction and his best memory of Eleanor. The little girl was always a good reminder of how good it was when he and Eleanor were good and happy, because she was their biggest shipper, despite letting out some major jealousy crisis from time to time. 

He opened the door to meet her but it was the King who spoke to the girl. "What do you want with my security detail little one? You know he is working right?" He asked using a not so friendly tone that made Sarah stop where she was and think about whether she was supposed to leave or not.  

"I wanted to show him something... I'm sorry!" She said, staring at the floor.  

Robert approached her, taking the phone she had in her hands, an action that left Jasper nervous and unsteady in his place. He knew what she wanted to show him and he didn't want the King to know about it.  

"What is that something that you want to show him?" He asked staring at some picture of some beach view. 

"Oh, I'm sorry your majesty. I really am!" James Hill said, interrupting the conversation and taking back his phone gently from the king's hand. "Sarah Alice, I already told you that I don't want you to distract Jasper with your games!" He scolded the little girl.  

But she got confused. "What game?" She asked puzzled. 

James shook his head and Jasper shook the little girl gently. "I talk to you later ok Sarah?" And give glance of gratitude to Mr. Hill for his intervention.  

"Yes Ok! I'm sorry again your majesty!" Sarah said sadly and left at a quick canter with her father behind.  

When Jasper caught up with them they were already at Mr. Hills office with a scowl faced Sarah Alice with her arms folded on her chest. He guessed her father had reprehended her for interrupting the King like she did.  

Jasper began to apologize for him. "I'm sorry James this was my fault. I asked her to show me the pic Eleanor send and she wanted to!" 

"I know that but she needs to know her boundaries. I can't afford to pick a fight with the King and she knows that!" 

"He is evil!" She said very low still folding her arms, the picture of a very stubborn girl. 

Her father shook his head with a sigh. "Come on Sarah Alice! We already discussed this and although you have your own opinion about the man, you simply can't run around and disturb the order of the Palace. Do you want me to lose this job?" 

She finally faced her father. "No, I don't! I know what I can and can't do, but I was doing nothing bad. He is evil!"  

James shook his head again in despair, his daughter was for sure very determined about her beliefs. 

"But I will be more careful. I promise!" She said, trying to get her father more friendly and leaving her stubborn posture, giving him a hug that made James melt and kiss the top of her head.  "You better missy! You better!" 

She nodded, smiling shyly and asked. "Can I show Jasper the text now?" 

"About that! Jasper do you believe that someone could have taken the letter from your secret spot?" 

Jasper almost jumped in surprise. "What letter?" 

James looked puzzled. "The letter that Eleanor said she had written it to you on Christmas?" 

"Oh, that letter!" Jasper said releasing a gasp of relive. "Well, I think so. Because she says she wrote it and I checked and it was not there. Why?"

"Look, I'm about to tell you something that you will not use in any circumstances until we get certain about what we are dealing with ok?" 

Jasper felt his heart pumping faster and closing the door behind him he nod in agreement with his boss' request. "Sure!" 

"No Jasper, I'm sorry but I need more than "sure", my job is on the line here." 

"Ok! I promise I will not screw this up. You can trust me!" 

The radio sound in the back and once again they were interrupted by some nonsense from his majesty the King, making Jasper leave them to try to solve some new dispute.  

* * *

She woke up startled again. She was dreaming that Jasper was drowning on the Thames river after being shot by someone that she couldn't see. Sitting on the bed all sweaty and with tears in her eyes she tried to focus on where she was and with who she was. She must have scream because she heard a gentle knock on the door and then someone peaked from outside the room. 

"Eleanor are you ok?" 

It was Sebastian. "Yes! Sorry I woke you again. I don't know why I keep having these dreams!" 

He smiled and gently sat on the edge of her bed trying to not invade her space. "It seems you have a lot to process! And that's no problem for me. I'm a light sleeper but I can sleep almost everywhere so no problem." 

"You better go to bed than because the renovation team is starting pretty early tomorrow!"

"Do you want me to stay with you?" He asked reaching for her hand that she gently avoid. 

"Thank you, Sebastian, but I'm ok. I'm sure I will fall asleep eventually!" 

She could see a sad smile on his lips but he left her alone. She liked this man. He became a major friend to her but sometimes she felt a bit trapped by him. Maybe she was not just a friend for him like he was for her. She lay down again covering herself with the soft silk blanket and rolling on herself several times until she could find a comfortable position to fall asleep.  

Trying to not think about how much friendly intentions were in Sebastian's mind, in her mind she traveled back to Jasper. And she felt her heart hitch with the memory of the sweet kiss that he gave her on the cheek before she left. Turning and turning again on the bed until settled all curled up she released a sigh admitting that she wasn't able to fall asleep mostly because she missed Jasper by her side to hug her from behind and breath on her neck and caress her hair until she let herself go. 

* * *

 

When Jasper finally came back to Mr. Hill's office looking like he had been in a fight he dropped himself on the little chair in front of the desk. "I swear this King is going to get me killed!" 

James smiled and pointed to the monitors.  "Your protégé is leaving again!" 

"Oh no!" He complained, looking at the clock. "I can't! Just can't go after him now! Can I ask you something? Can you go after him! Just follow him from a distance and help him come back to the palace when is done. I just... He can't go alone!" 

"You should stop him!" James said following Liam through the monitors. 

"I know but he doesn't listen!" 

James agreed. "Ok, I will go with him. Keep everything in order here, please. Oh and I thought you may like to see the folder "Deleted" on my desktop."  

Jasper looked at his boss without a clue of what he was talking about but nodded doubting about the subject. 

"I will! If you say so and thank you!" 

Jasper took Mr. Hill's place at his desk and opened the file he mentioned. For a couple of minutes, he thought the old man had lost it because what was he suppose to be watching in the empty corridors? But then he saw Eleanor enter the library and then King Robert approaching the door. 

"Is he?... Is he spying on her?" Jasper said to no one. Was he seeing right? Had he just seen the King spying on his sister and then entering the library and leaving a couple of minutes later with a smirk on his face?  

"Could he have been the one that took the letter?" He asked again of no one because he was all alone in there.  Jasper played that piece of footage more than twenty times and he concluded that the King was up with something for sure. 

Still talking out loud alone he jumped in surprise when the little Sarah Alice entered the room. "Where's my father?" 

"Geez, girl do you want to kill me?" He asked letting his American side surface making Sarah Alice laugh at him. "Your father is out! What do you need besides trying to give me a heart attack?" 

She giggled. "Nothing much. Just want to know when we could go home?"  

Jasper checked the clock, realizing with surprise  that he had been playing that footage back and forward for more than an hour now. "He is probably already coming back now!" And as he finished talking Mr. Hill appeared at the door. 

"Look you need to talk him out of it! Today he barely could stand up on his feet!" 

"He didn't listen to me!" Jasper answer apathic. 

"You have to do something! Who do you think he will listen to?"  

"His ex, which is the king ex too or Len!"  

"Ok, then so his ex is not an option!" 

Sarah Alice emerged again from the closet where she liked to hide.  "Can I show him the pic now?" 

James gave her his phone. "Yes show him already. Girl you really like to play the matchmaker role!" James shook his head. 

Jasper took the phone from her and thanked her with a kiss on the top f her head. He stared at the picture. It really was an amazing view, scrolling down to read the message he first smiled at her words to Sarah Alice but then his face fell and then lit up again. Both James and Sarah watched him open his mouth without releasing a word more than once. Handing the phone back to Sarah all he said was "Thank you!" and left. Leaving them both astounded with his reaction. 

Already at the tunnels, the only place where he felt comfortable when she was not in the palace, mostly because it reminded him of her, he picked his phone out of his pocket and searched for her name on the contact list, but he stopped himself before calling her. She had answered him after all.  The emoji in the end of Sarah Alice's text was for him. He was sure of that, and if he wasn't wrong, by all this time that they had exchange emoji texts she meant something like "I'm here" or "I'm still here" and that meant she was thinking of him. But should he invade her private time like that? She said she needed it. But after what he read he had a sudden need to hear her voice. And if she doesn't pick up? He thought to himself. 

Still looking at Eleanor's name on the screen his finger wavered over the call button, undecided about what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the reading! Let me know what you think!|


	5. She's Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper called and Eleanor is back! Will they meet?

Jasper's anxiety grew proportionally to the number of rings he heard on the phone. He was almost sure she wasn't going to pick up so when he heard her husky voice on the other side calling his name he almost dropped his phone in surprise. His heart was beating so fast that he momentarily thought that he was going to pass out or something. Leaning on the wall beside him he tried to figure out what to say. He really called on an impulse but now he was lost in words and thoughts and emotions and couldn't tell her just like that what his thoughts were about the emoji souvenir that she had send on the text. What if that didn't mean nothing after all. What if it was all his imagination. She would hang up on him for sure. 

"Jasper, what do you want?" He heard her ask not so softly this time. 

"I'm sorry I call... I... Well...Hope I didn't wake you, I... I don't know the time there and... I..." He was babbling. 

"Jasper spit it out!" She barked over the phone making him retract in reaction almost like she was right there barking at him. 

He needed to figure out fast what to say because he was sure she was going to hang up soon. Noticing that one of the security doors was not closed, Liam came to his mind and he found the perfect excuse to call her.  He really needed her help on this one. Like Mr. Hill had mentioned, Liam was now totally out of control and probably Eleanor was the only one that could bring some sense to him. 

"It's your brother, Liam is fighting again and I'm afraid that something could go really wrong. I fear for his life Len and he simply doesn't listen to me!"  

"Liam is fighting again? Why?" She sounded concerned. 

"I think mostly because of the new King and maybe because of his ex-girlfriend too...I really don't know because he simply doesn't talk to me!" Jasper said with real concern.  The truth was he really was worried. 

"I need to check with Sebastian, but I think we can come back to try to put some sense in his head." She informed after a long painful silence. 

Jasper felt uncomfortable by the way she referred to Sebastian like he was something more than he wanted to think he was. But he tried to clear his head from that kind of thought because this was after all for Liam. Without planning he'd ended doing a good thing and winning the opportunity to see Eleanor was just a bonus.  Did he really do that? Did he really call her and convince her to come home?

"Thank you, Len. I hope you could help because I really don't know what to do anymore.!" 

"Thank you for calling Jasper. Don't tell anyone that I'm coming ok? I don't want a big thing about it and hopefully it's just for a day or so!"  

"Of course, don't worry about it!" Jasper reassured her hoping for more than a day in her company. 

She hung up without even saying goodbye, leaving him staring at the phone and playing their conversation playing in his head over and over. Hearing her voice again gave him a mixture of hope and fear that he couldn't clearly explain. But he decided to focus on the good part of all of this and smile at the possibility of seeing her again, for real, like flesh and bone, very soon.  

* * *

Eleanor hung up without saying goodbye mostly because she couldn't say goodbye to Jasper. It hurt her too much doing it and she protected herself from it. 

She was concerned about her brother, but the only thing she could think of was how she was going to face Jasper after she had a dream with him every night since she had left. Good dreams and bad dreams, but always the same subject, Jasper was always the focus of the dream. It bothered her, she even had sometimes an urge to beat herself for it but it also made her feel closer to him somehow. 

If she put aside all the mess that he did, the only thing she could think about was how much she needed him and how much she wanted him, wanted to feel him close to her. His hugs always healed her and made her stronger to face the world. He was her rock and most of all he was the main reason for her keeping her head above water and not drown in the drugs and booze like she use to do. She couldn't avoid thinking about how much she missed the sex too, the feel of his skin, his touch, his kisses on her made her almost ashamed of how horny she got when thinking about him in her bed.  

They were so perfect for each other in every single aspect of them but Jasper end up ruining all for them and as much as all these memories were good for her and made her smile thinking of them, she could not forgive him just like that, though this time apart from him was healing a lot of her inner bruises, all the doubts she had about his commitment to them were still tattooed io her in a way that she could not easily erase. 

The light the started to enter through the window made her clear her head and she forced herself out of bed to talk to Sebastian. Arrangements had to be made to see if she could bring Liam back from his messed up parallel world. 

After breakfast, they packed light, because the job there wasn't finished, but they or Eleanor had a mission and the Palace was waiting for her. Off course Sebastian had agreed in take her there to deal with whatever she had to deal with. He didn't even ask who had called her and from what she could tell he didn't care.  

Sebastian was a good friend she thought to herself, she could read between the lines that he liked her maybe in a not so casual way, but he respected her so much and behaved so correctly around her that she started to question how much she was going to miss him when they went their separate ways someday. Although she felt lucky she had him in her life right now and she should stop torturing herself with this stuff and enjoy the good time she was having. 

* * *

Without any announcement or fuss about it, Eleanor arrived at the Palace alone, since Sebastian had left her with the promise of coming back at the end of the day. She went straight to her twin brother's room to find out that he wasn't there. 

As an alternative she tried her mother's room, trying to go unnoticed, but once again, she had no luck there too and ended up going to her bedroom instead with mixed feelings of sadness, homesickness, and joy of seeing her little world that fits in that room again. 

Sitting on her bed she asked for Mr. Hill's presence through the communication system.  A few minutes later the nice security detail was at her door with a big smile drawn across his lips. "Welcome back Princess!" 

Eleanor ran to him, hugging him, making him a bit uncomfortable with the proximity. "Oh James, I missed you, you know?" 

James smiled shyly and took a step back when she released him from the hug. "Well, your highness you were missed too! I can assure you that!" 

She grinned and sat on her her chair that she so much loved and missed surprisingly. "So James what's new?" 

"Not much your highness, not much! I didn't know you were coming!"  

"Well... Jasper called me!" She said rolling her eyes when she said his name. 

"He did?" James asked surprised. "That boy still manages to surprise me!" 

"He wanted my help with Liam!" She said softly assuring that her presence here had nothing to do with Jasper. 

"Oh, so he did good your highness. Because Prince Liam has me worried, we don't really know what to do to stop him from hurting himself like that!" 

"I will talk to him!" She assured him.  "Meanwhile I can't find anyone in this Palace. Liam is not around and my mother either." 

"Your majesty the Queen is outside in the gardens and I believe I saw Prince Liam leaving an hour ago!" 

"Ok then so I will wait for him to come back! I will go try to find my mother!" She informed him, preparing herself to leave but her gaze stopped at the door and she went mute. She first turned red and then pale white as the sight in front of her entered the room. She was not ready to face him after all. 

Jasper felt his heart race when he thought he heard her voice, this woman was going to give him a heart attack one day. When he put his eyes on her he felt his palms go sweaty and he fought with himself to decided about entering her room or not. Their eyes meet and he was ready to run to her and having her again in his arms but he couldn't. She would get mad at him for sure and he was determined to do everything to get her back so he would play this like she wanted to and wait for her reaction to his presence.  

"Eleanor!" He greeted her. 

"Jasper!" She greeted back. 

James felt like he was watching a movie and decided he had to leave these two alone so he excused himself without either of them even noticing. They were too focus on each other's presence. 

"May I come in?" Jasper asked politely. 

But she didn't answer and turned her back on him, leaving him there hanging. Was she really not going to talk to him while she was here? He questioned himself silently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and let me know what you think ;)


	6. Almost There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor and Jasper talk face to face, finally... But it will be a good talk?

Jasper was about to give up because staring at Eleanor's back, as beautiful she was, gave him a feeling of loss. This was how he always thought of her these days, turning her back on him and leaving. Before he could turn his own back on her and leave the room she asked him, "Why did you want to come in here?" 

All the thoughts floating in his mind disappeared momentarily, it felt so good hearing her voice, even if he could sense some kind of roughness on her. 

"I just wanted to thank you for coming!" 

"It's my brother Jasper! I'm the one that has to thank you for calling!" 

He nodded and to a step to enter the room but she stopped him. "Although that doesn't mean I want to spend my time here in your presence!" 

Her words were like knives to him. But he could not expect that all of a sudden she would forgive him, just like that, so he made a gesture to excuse himself and prepared to leave but before he even crossed the bedroom threshold she spoke again. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't intend to be so hard on you! It’s just... I don't... well it's better if we stay as we are don't you think?" 

Turning back around to face her he offered her a sad smile. "As you wish Princess!" He said and finally left the room. 

Eleanor let herself drop on the bed. She had spent every single day that they were apart thinking of him, dream with him, having nightmares with him, picturing him in every place she went and now that she had him right there in front of her she treated him like crap. Why she did that to herself was always a question in her head. She liked to mutilate herself, make herself suffer, most of the time for no reason.  

She was indeed disappointed and mad with Jasper. She felt like their relationship wasn't real because he didn't trust her once again but she thought this time away from him had made her change her mind about it. Apparently the anger was still there though and once again she’d spoken with her head and not her heart. 

His words couldn’t seem to let her be. "I love you! You are my girl! Happily ever after is real and we will find it!" He really wanted to make amends with her, he really wanted her back. She knew that. But was she able to let him in again? Based on the reaction that she had at his presence, it was something that maybe would take awhile. But she missed him like crazy! She would give everything for one of his healing hugs right now.  

* * *

Jasper left her room disappointed. He really believed that maybe she had a more friendly welcome to give him but he did not blame her. After all the situation between the was because of one thing, him. But seeing her left him even more vulnerable than he thought he would be. When he saw her there in her bedroom again,  the urge to hug her and feel her again took over him. Even with her closed face and with her hard words to him she looked beautiful, maybe even more beautiful that he could remember.  

The radio shook him from his thoughts and lead him to the King's chambers once again. At least he had something to focus on, even if this meant another crazy move from the king. 

 

* * *

 

Eleanor decided to talk to James again. She needed to know what was going on around the Palace. Maybe was her imagination, but Jasper was looking beat and tired. 

James ended up showing her a reality that she was not ready for. Her older brother had taken the king's job maybe a bit too enthusiastically and the list of crazy decisions that he made really made her question her brother’s mental health. For the first time she began to think that all the nonsense that Liam had told her before the coronation was not such a nonsense at all. She was informed too that Liam and her Uncle Cyrus had some kind of agreement that no one was happy about and that her mother seemed powerless around King Robert.  

"Mainly Jasper spends his days trying to put out fires around the Palace that the King manages to create and following Liam at night to be sure that he comes home in one piece." Mr. Hill finished trying to show Eleanor how bad the situation was. 

She nodded and sat trying to absorb all that she had listened to. "So that's why he looks so beat!" 

"Who? Jasper? I think he doesn't sleep much since your highness left, if I may say!" 

"James please don't try to protect him!" 

"I'm not your highness. It's the truth and you know I fired him, and I'm still not happy about the way he handled the journalist situation, but let's face it, the man is the King’s security detail and the prince’s bodyguard and babysits Sarah Alice in between. I think he deserves a break and he has regret written on his face every time he talks about you!" 

Eleanor tilted her head to the side questing. "He talks about me?" 

"I'm sorry I mentioned it and the matchmaker here is Sarah Alice, but of course he talks about you!" James added, smiling.  

Eleanor listened to him in silence and when she spoke she tried to change the subject. "And Liam? Jasper didn't talk to him about the fights?" 

"I did!" Jasper answered, entering the room and making her jump in surprise when she heard his voice. "But he simply doesn't want to hear me. He usually says that I'm not his security detail and that I don't have to follow him around! And that is on the good days because most of the days he simply ignores my presence." 

Eleanor got up and informed them that she would be talking to him and that she preferer that nobody knew about this conversation. The two security men nodded at her, assuring that they would not mention her presence. 

But Jasper couldn't control himself and on an impulse he tried to catch her in the corridor. "Len? Wait!" 

She hesitated but ended up stopping and faced him, felling her heart pumping high in her ear. She was desperately trying to not say anything that she would regret later. "What do you want Jasper?" 

"Do you think we could talk before you leave?" He asked trying to reach her hand unsuccessfully. 

"About what?" She asked calmly. 

Jasper shrugged and tried not to show how nervous he was. "About us! I know that you still think of me, I saw the emojis on Sarah Alice message!" He spelled it out because he had to, if not he would explode and he needed to know if he had read things right or if he was just fooling himself. 

Eleanor faced the floor, he had understood her message after all. And now what? What was she going to do? Could she tell him that she missed him and that she wanted him back but she was not ready to trust him yet? She couldn’t tell him that. She just couldn’t. "I... Well... How can you be sure that the emojis were a message to you?" 

"Because that was our way of communication for a long time and because I know you!" Jasper took a step closer to her but the radio buzzed and they both listened to him to be called to the King’s chambers again.  

"You better go! I have to talk to Liam anyway!" She said, already turning her back on him.  

"You didn't answer me. Can we talk before you go?" He asked again.  

His tone made her shiver, the sweet husky voice that he had for her, almost without his pretended accent always got to her. 

"Maybe... If I have time... I have to go now!"  

He couldn't resist again and now that he was closer to her, he took her hand gently, making her turn to face him. "I said to you a while ago that I will not give up on you and recently I said that you were my girl and I will fight whatever fight you want me to fight. But please, you have to at least give the chance for us to talk face to face one more time." He ended his statement with a choked voice but he managed to keep it together. Her, on the other side, let a single tear drop on her cheek and squeezed his hand hard. 

"I don't know if I can Jasper! I'm sorry!" She said while he came close to her and cleaned the tear with his finger. He caressed  her face in an away that she had to bring all her strength to not drop herself in his arms, but she ended up placing her hand on his chest gently. "I.. Let me talk to Liam and... Maybe..." 

But Liam cut her off. "Len, you're home!" He said, greeting her and hugging her and making her walk with him back to his room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment. I would love to heard your ideas and suggestions.


	7. Liam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor and Liam have a very productive talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you my friend @justkillingtimewhileiwait

Liam analyzed Eleanor features. "You look good Len! This time away is doing good to you!" 

"Thank you! I really feel more relaxed these days!" 

"So why you come back?" 

"Because of you Liam!" 

Liam face broke out in surprise. "Me? Why?" 

"Well your face is a good answer to that question, don't you think?" Eleanor asked, caressing some bruises that he had near his eyes.  

Uncomfortable, he walked away from her, turning his back. "Who told you?" 

"Doesn't matter! Why are you doing this? Is it because of that girl?" She asked trying to get closer to him. 

"No!" He returned rapidly. Then he cast his gaze downward. "Maybe... I don't think it's all about that but... well maybe it helped,” He finished and sat on his bed next to his sister. She always managed to reach him, to make him talk and help him get through all the bad things that happened in his life. She read him in a way that no one could, and when she finally picked his hand up he felt one tear falling down his face. "I think the last couple of months all together lead here and you know I like to fight." 

"The problem Liam is that you don't go there to fight, you go there to punish yourself!" 

He answered her with silence. A silence that filled the room for longer than they both wanted, but they were both fighting their struggles and as much Eleanor wanted to help her brother, his reference to the last couple months made her think about all the mess that her life had been recently.  But she wasn't here for her, she was here for her brother. "Liam you have to stop! This is unhealthy. And what is with you and uncle Cirus secret?" 

"Don't worry about that! You're right I should stop the fights!" He says trying to avoid the subject of Uncle Cirus. Eleanor noticed his change and his refusal to answer but decided not to push it. 

"Liam I came because I heard that most nights you barely can keep yourself up. Please take care of you! I can't be here now and I’ll worry if I know you keep blowing off your problems and going to that stupid fights instead!" 

"I'm not ignoring my problems, I'm just trying to deal with it!" 

"Well, apparently you have not been very successful!"  

"You didn't tell me who called you!" He redirected again, avoiding her inquisitor look. 

"Jasper called me. He got worried with your state last night and as I hear he has a lot on his plate right now and keeping up with you, it hasn't been easy!" 

"He really didn't need to follow me around and he for sure shouldn't have called you and worried you!" Liam voice was raspy, upset with the situation because he wasn't happy that Jasper had exposed him to Eleanor, but somehow he was thankful to him for doing it because he really missed his sister. 

She smiled at him. "Do you want to talk about Robert?" 

"Len there's nothing to talk about Robert, he is the King and that's it!" 

"But Liam, he was supposed to be the King!" 

"I know he was, and I fight this situation for a while when I was forced to assume that responsibility but then I got confident about my abilities and I know now that I would have been a good King and I would have made our father proud, and... I was supposed... never mind! You already said it! You don't understand what's happening with Robert!" He finished defeated. 

"Well actually I have been thinking and maybe you could be right about Robert, he is changed and for sure is not our Robert anymore!"  

He once again was surprised by her words. He was not expecting her agreement on this. "What made you change your mind?" 

"James educated me to how things are being managed here and I indeed can't recognize our Robert. It seems that being King had gone to his head somehow!" 

"Something like that yes!" Liam felt some kind of relief hearing his sister agreeing with him. Maybe he was not so crazy at all. "But honestly Len I prefere not to talk about him. He will be King for as long as he lives and I will do my job the best that I can as Prince and that's it!" 

"And Kathryn? Do you want to talk about her?" Eleanor tried once again. 

"There is no more Kathryn, she chose Robert and Robert treats her like garbage and she doesn't want to talk to any of us!" 

"Maybe you should try don't you think? Maybe she could be a good support for you! I may confess that I was not a fan of the girl but you need someone next to you to help you through this Liam." 

Eleanor's words made him think about how sweet Kathryn was to him and how happy they were back then but she had chosen his brother. "I don't want to be the second option of anyone Len. If she loved me the way I loved her she would have stayed with me!" 

"You already know that King Robert somehow influences people and he was her lost love Liam, you have to try and give her a second chance. And trust me I can't believe I'm saying this to you, you two were good together and I think I can't remember a time that I saw you happy like that since Ophelia. You deserve to be happy Liam, try to reach her and see what she is up to."  

"Is this advice for me or for you?" Liam asked making Len sit on the bed again in reaction to his words. 

Eleanor weighed her brother's words. Was she thinking of Jasper when she was giving Liam advice? She questioned herself silently. "Me and Jasper are a totally different story!" 

"Look, Len, it's exactly the same, he messed up and you need to give him a second change and like you said to me you two were good for each other, I never saw you so happy and relaxed in any relationship that you had before. Jasper gives you the normal that you always crave but never manage to acquire. " Liam was now close to his sister and hugged her, trying to comfort both of them. "We are a complete mess you know that?" 

Eleanor laughed into his chest, making him smile too. "Yes, we are!" She ended up saying. 

"And I don't want to sound paranoid but I don't think Sebastian’s appearance at the Palace was totally innocent and mere coincidence..." Liam added, remembering the conversation that he had heard recently between Jasper and James.   

Eleanor looked surprised. "Why you say that?" 

"Maybe you should talk with Jasper about it! After you tell him that you miss him!" Liam teased. Eleanor’s answer to his tease was a punch in his lower belly that made him contract in pain. "Hey, careful ok!" 

"What? Don't tell me that you somehow have bruises all over your body? I thought the fights were nothing... like you were totally ok!" She teased him back. 

"Ok, Len! I said I will stop! And I will talk to Kathryn like you suggested, but maybe you should use your own advice and talk to Jasper too!" 

She smiled at him. "Maybe! Maybe not! Don't forget that I came here for you, not for me!" 

"Are you sure Len?" Liam asked her, trying to see her questing herself but she kept up her straight face and left the room without a word but not before pushing him to his bed.  

* * *

Eleanor walked through the corridors of the palace thinking on her brother's words. Without even noticing she ended up in the tunnels, her favorite place for meeting Jasper. She walked around the tunnels trying to decide if she should talk to him before leaving or not. Liam was right, she missed Jasper and she didn't come just for Liam. She thought of this trip as an opportunity to see Jasper again and test herself and to acknowledge if she was getting over him or not. And she already had her answer. As much as being far from the Palace and far from him and as much as the renovation thing was making her feel useful and valuable again, she was not over Jasper at all and she would not be anytime soon.

* * *

Jasper spend the afternoon trying not to think that after all this time, he and her were in the same place again. He expected to bump into her sometime during that day, but that never happened. When he finally put eyes on her again she was laughing with Sarah Alice outside of her room. He fought to go to them but decided to give the girls some privacy and watch them from the security cameras. When he saw Eleanor enter her room he felt a mix of fear and hope because there were two letters now in her nightstand drawer and he really wished she read them but he also was afraid that she would simply ignore his words. 

* * *

"Why are you leaving so soon? You didn't even show me the pictures that you promised!" Sarah demand with a sad voice, almost tearful. 

"I have to go little one. I have work to do there. I just came to put some sense in Liam's head and I hope I have succeeded!" Eleanor said, kneeling close the little girl and arranging her hair.   

"Ok!" Sarah Alice pouted, not very convinced. With a tight hug, she turned to go away but turn back again quickly. "Oh yes, I almost forgot! Jasper wrote you another letter!" 

Eleanor’s eyes went wide and asked trying to sound as unimpressed as possible. "He did? How do you know?"  

"I caught him writing and he said that this time he will be putting the letter in a place where no one could find it! I think it is here, in your room, but please don't tell him I told you this!" She asked, putting her hands in prayer on her chest and running away seconds later. 

Eleanor fought momently about finding the letter or not but end up in her room opening drawers until she found them in her nightstand.  

Now with two letters in her hand, she tried to decide if she will read them or not. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts. And thank you so much for reading ;)


	8. The Letters

Eleanor read the first letter without a blink. She couldn't imagine growing up like that. Her mother was never an example, but her parents' marriage was not a lie. And Eleanor knew that, for most of the time, their parents had loved each other very much. More importantly, they never made their kids feel unloved and unwelcome, even with all the crazy rules that ruled their lives in the monarchy.  Knowing this about Jasper could allow her to forgive some of Jasper’s trust issues, and she knew she would be softer with him after this. 

When she started the second letter she also started to cry without even noticing. Jasper’s words hurt her more than she expected. 

"Dear Eleanor, I miss you so much!   

I want to tell you more about me, and it could seem that I'm trying to make a victim of myself, but this was my life until I meet you, and trust me, it was not a good life back then. 

I was about seven and came home from school, as I enter the house I noticed a cake on the table. I knew that it was not anyone's birthday so something good must have happened. My mother entered the room and informed me that today she and my father were celebrating their anniversary so they wanted the house to themselves. As if it was the most natural thing in the world she gave me five dollars and ordered me to leave and not to come back until midnight or so. 

That night I walked around the city for hours until I ended up falling asleep at my front door because I was afraid that I was coming home too early. How could a mother let a son sleep on the street and not even check if he got home when he was supposed to you may ask, well that was my mother. In the morning I woke up on the street and went home to take my breakfast. They were still asleep and guess what, the rest of the cake was in the trash because apparently, I didn't deserve to eat a piece. That day I went to school with an empty stomach and a pain in my chest that took me years to realize that was the feeling of rejection. 

You were the first person that I allowed to see the true Jasper, the broke and insecure Jasper that is used to being rejected and used by everyone.  

You were the one that for the first time in many, many years made me feel wanted and I can not thank you enough for that. And that is also why I love you so much and why every day I spend away from you, had made me relive all the insecurities that have haunted me for so long. 

I love you and I hope you don't give up on me! 

Jasper Frost" 

Eleanor cleaned the tears that she didn't notice she had wept and tried to picture a little Jasper curled up on some shady stairs, sleeping in the street. Who would do this to a son was a question that she didn't know the answer to, but knowing this made her fall in love with Jasper all over again. This boy that was so mistreated in his childhood had grown up to become the most kind-hearted man that she knew. 

Laying on her back she faced her room’s ceiling and tried to decide if she should run to comfort Jasper or if she should run away for good. Her brother’s words could not let her be. Did she come here to fix her brother or to fix herself?

She suddenly got up and left the room. The tunnels always were her favorite spot in the palace, she usually hid there to think, to cry, to get high and lately to meet Jasper. Somehow she felt closer to him there because as much as she wanted to hug him after she read his letters, she knew she was not sure about how she would handle being around him so she thought it was better to be alone for now. 

But a few minutes after she entered the tunnels she heard steps behind her and without turning around she already knew that it was him, without facing him she knew Jasper was two steps behind her, his determined and almost unheard walk couldn't fool her. She could recognize it everywhere. 

"Len?  Is everything ok?"

She nodded and tried to gain time to pull herself together before she faced him. Without turning she said: "Yes Jasper! Why wouldn't be?" 

"Because you are alone in here and you usually come here to hide from the world." 

"Wrong! I usually come here to be alone, but that seems pretty difficult right now!" Once again her tone made her regret her words, but she couldn't control it. 

He placed his hand gently on her arm and could feel her shiver lightly. Without giving him time to talk she added: "I read your letters." 

He felt his heart racing and turned her so he could face her. That’s when he could see  she had been crying. He knew her so well that he noticed the small shake of her hand and the cadence of her breath that was still altered and it totally broke him knowing that he was the one to blame for that.  

Once again, before he could say anything, she spoke: "I'm sorry that you had such a screwed up childhood, it really breaks my heart knowing that you had to leave like that, but I still don't get why you don't trust me. I know you wrote that to justify yourself but...”

"Len,” he cut her off. "That was not why I wrote those letters. I wrote them because I wanted you to really know me, not to justify my damn insecurities and way of living, before I meet you." 

"Jasper, as screwed up as my family and this monarchy stuff is, I never felt unwanted or unwelcome. I felt they didn't understand me, I felt unfit, but never not loved like you did. Most of the stuff that I put up, were silent screams for attention in a family where I had no designated role to represent, but never did I feel that they didn't love me like your family made you feel." 

As she spoke her tears started to fall again. He hugged her because he had too. He was the one responsible for those tears and he would beat himself up forever to cause so much pain to this amazing woman. As he tightened the hug he could feel her body relaxing, slowly he felt her settle down and lay her head on his chest. Feeling her so close to him made him relax too. He could not believe that he had her in his arms again. He would give his arm to kiss her right now, but he could not do that. He had to give her all the time she needed to let him be a part of her life again, to trust him again. For now he would be happy with this hug, with cleaning her tears and saying thank you for caring. Thank you for allowing me to tell you my story and most of all thank you for being you.  

As he whispered his thank you's in her ear she enjoyed the comfort of his hug, the healing of his touch and the sweet taste of his words that made her feel herself again. As much as she was feeling comfortable since she started working on the amazing Sebastian project, just now she realized that what it really meant to be comfortable and good and herself again, was this hug and this feeling of being home that only Jasper could make her feel.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment ;) and thanks for reading!


	9. The Proof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper finally finds what he is looking for.

Jasper had back to the supposed deleted footage once again. He knew Eleanor would probably leave today so he wanted to have every bit of proof he could to show her that her brother was the one who stole her letter and that Jasper was sure it was the King who made Sebastian appear in the Palace. 

Almost two hours later he was ready to quit when he saw that an email had arrived. When he saw the sender’s name his face lit up a bit. Awhile ago he had asked one of his friends for the call list from the King's phone that day. He knew he was breaking a major list of laws but he was sure there was more to this story than he could see and he was determined to find an answer. His answer had finally arrived. As he compared the list with the time of the footage he found the number the King called. Now he only had to find out who the number belonged to. Jasper was almost certain that it was Sebastian’s number. No one could change his mind that these two events, the stolen letter, and the Sebastian appearance, were not a simple coincidence. 

All he needed to do was check the list of authorized contacts that he was responsible for, but of course, he had to be called again. The King was up and needed him ASAP as always. 

* * *

 

Sarah Alice was trying to convince Eleanor to take a walk with her in the garden before she left, and Eleanor was tempted to go. Last night after meeting Jasper at the tunnels she came back to her room. She said to him that she needed to think and decide what to do. She still had some work to finish with Sebastian, but if what Jasper said was true and Sebastian was just there because Robert had called him and sold her like cattle to him, she would not want to keep working with him. 

Her conversation with Jasper kept playing on a loop in her head.  

"It was your brother Eleanor, the footage shows the king leaving the library right after you were there. I'm sure he was the one who stole the letter and I would bet that he called Sebastian and that's why he miraculously had a dream job waiting for you." 

"Jasper you can't accuse the King of something like that without proof!" 

"I will get you proof. You will see... And you will trust me again..." 

"Jasper... I need to go, let me go, I need to think about this!" 

"Len I said I am gonna love you no matter what, and I mean it, just give me the opportunity to show you that!" 

Eleanor left him there staring at her back while she walked away. She could say that she had run from him because she had to get everything he claimed straight in her head. But she was so tempted to fall in his arms at that moment, that she had to leave.  All she could think was that she needed to clear her head before she gave him the chance to show her that all her truths were after all a bunch of lies. She was not ready to accept that her brother had turned out to be this awful man that thought he could play with other people lives like that.  

Eleanor always felt comfortable with Sebastian, but she had to admit that some of his vigilante behaviors freaked her out sometimes. The fact that he was always already in her bedroom when she woke up from her nightmares always seemed a bit odd for her, but he never imposed himself on her and always gave her space.  

"This is all messed up," She said out loud making Sarah Alice face her curiously.  

"The garden? Do you think the garden is not ok? I kind of like it!" Sarah Alice had not noticed that Eleanor, that finally accepted her invite to the garden walk, had been far away from the garden these past minutes. 

"No sweetie I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something Jasper and Liam told me. Nothing important, don't worry!"  

"It's about the letter isn't it?" The little girl asked not facing Eleanor. "I heard Jasper and my father talking when I was pretending to take a nap. They think the King stole it!"  

"Sarah Alice, you will be a pretty good spy one day, mark my words," Eleanor said hugging the little girl and kissing the top of her head. She really missed this part, this little girl, this feeling of being home, this vibe of good mood that this garden always gave her.  

"You should let Jasper show you what he got so far. If my father let him investigate, it's because he trusts his instincts and you should trust him too. He has been so sad and quiet since you left. I miss our Jasper, don't you?" 

Eleanor smiled lightly at her words. "Yes, my little princess I miss our Jasper too!" 

The little girl was right. James would never help Jasper on something he didn't believe in. But even so, she didn't know if she was ready to leave everything behind just like that. However, she knew herself too well to believe that if Jasper was right she was able to get to work with Sebastian. There was nothing that disgusted her more than people using her and treating her like some kind of product or something.  

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that Sarah Alice was not by her side anymore and Jasper was right behind the little garden bench where the two girls had been sitting. When he gently put his hand on her shoulder she recognized his touch and turned to face him. They lost themselves in each other's eyes for a beat and he was the first that talk.  

"If you have time right now I have the proof that I said I would find." 

"Show me then..." 

Jasper spoke fast. She could see he was nervous as he scrolled the pictures on the tablet. They showed her older brother entering the library right before she left, and than minutes later he walked out.  

"So if you check the time of the footage and compare it with his phone calls you verify that he made a phone call while inside the library and I checked the number he called. I know you think this is me going too far, but I checked and it was Sebastian. I'm sorry. I didn't want to disappoint you with this, and I know that you are enjoying this time away with him. I know this doesn't mean you will forgive me right away, or that you will leave him behind, but I had to show you that..." But she cut him off. 

"Jasper stop, It's ok, I got it!" She said picking his hand up and pulling him close to her. "I believe in you. I have already forgiven you a while ago. I wasn’t with you because I didn't forgive you, I wasn’t with you because I didn’t trust you yet. You really broke me when after all we handled and fought through together you decided to hide things from me again. Even if it was for my protection. If you don't understand that we are in this together, no secrets, no lies, I don't want to be with you at all, not now, not ever Jasper." 

Jasper looked at her, his eyes wide.  He cleared his throat before he spoke. "You said we are in this together? That means you trust me again to have me back?" 

Eleanor first faced the horizon before she got the courage to face him. She could see he had tears dancing in his eyes, which made her own tears come too.  "Yes, Jasper I trust you!" 

Jasper hugged her tight like he was going to lose her again. When she pulled apart from him she placed her hands on each side of his face and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I love you no matter what Jasper!" 

This time it was him that kissed her, but it was not a chaste kiss, it was an eager kiss, a "forgive me" kiss, an "I miss you" kiss. Eleanor could feel both of their tears falling and hugged him until her arms hurt from the strength she put into it. They kept the kiss as long as their lungs allowed and then fell apart. 

Jasper was not able to face her. "I'm so sorry Eleanor..." 

"Jasper I already said you are forgiven..." 

"It's not that... I'm sorry about this Sebastian thing, and your brother... I just would like that things like this don't happen to you. You don't deserve to be treated like this  and... 

"Jasper don't! This was not your fault and I must thank you for showing me where I was!" 

"But I don't want this to be the reason why we are back together." Saying this he faced her, looking like a lost little boy, making Eleanor heart melt remembering his letters. "We are back together right?" 

She smiled and intertwined her fingers with his. "Yes Jasper we are back together, but don't go yelling that to the world just yet, I want to decide what to do about my brother and Sebastian."  

The smile on her face made Jasper hug her again. He felt like he could live forever on that hug. All the grey clouds that had accompanied him this past months had disappeared and that feeling of belonging to someone, that feeling that he had experienced only with Eleanor, had finally settled in his heart again.  

Eleanor lay her head on his lap, enjoying the last light of the sun as Jasper caressed her hair gently like this was some regular end of the afternoon for them.   

"I missed you, Jasper!" She said almost in a whisper. 

He kissed her gently and looked at her in a way that made a shiver run through her body, especially when he aded softly, "Damn girl I missed you too. I said you were my girl!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts and thank you so much for reading.


	10. They are Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are Jasper and Eleanor finally back together?

All the time in the world could not kill the need that those two had to be in each other's arms.   

They walked holding hands without thinking to Eleanor's bedroom, falling on her bed in silence.      

They touched each other with no hurry or impatience, but gently and slowly like they were trying to remembering every inch of each other’s body. He kissed her deeply and she let herself melt into his arms. They caressed one another’s body slowly with no rush or lust but full of desire and led themselves to a climax that they had already experienced several times but had forgotten how good it was. Sex was never a problem for them, but this was not just sex, their connection gave them the feeling of belonging that Jasper wished for so much and the feeling of being home that Eleanor didn't want to admit that she was looking for while she was away. They were one again.    

"Can I get you something to eat?" Jasper asked, caressing her hair while she was laying in his lap.   

 "You are not my servant Jasper, you don't have to do that!" Eleanor spoke softly and smiled, caressing his face while she studied it. From her point of view, laying down, she could face his eyes directly. "God I missed those blue eyes" She mumbled to herself.  

"I know I'm not, but I could make you something to eat like normal people do, You don't even know if I'm good cook or not!"    

"Oh... Ok then, so amaze me!" She said teasing him.   

He was already leaving the bed when he answered her. "Give twenty minutes."   

While he picked his clothes off the floor Eleanor once again mumbled to herself. "God I missed his body too."   

"What?"    

Eleanor blushed at the thought she had said her thoughts out loud. "Nothing?"   

"You are mumbling a lot today," he added, leaving the room giggling.    

Of course he heard what she said, but he was not going to tell her that, though he was pretty happy about her thoughts. While in the kitchen he scavenged the fridge trying to decide what to do. When he came back he brought grilled mushrooms, smoked ham, boiled eggs and pancakes, and of course two large cups of coffee and strawberries.   

"I don't like boiled eggs," Eleanor informed him, disappointed.    

"You will like this one, use this sauce." He said passing her a white mixture that looked a lot like mayonnaise.   

They ate in silence for a bit, but as soon as she tried the eggs her eyes rolled. "Oh, this is good! So good!"    

Jasper just smiled in satisfaction.    

"Who knew you could actually cook!" Eleanor exclaimed, eating another egg that she previously had dipped in the mystery sauce.     

"Well you know by my letters that I had to more or less raise myself so, I learned a thing or two."    

Eleanor finished her coffee and came to sit in Jasper's lap. "So this is what normal people do?"   

He just nodded in agreement, smiling at her happiness.    

"We should do it more often then!" She concluded.   

Jasper turned serious and started to play with her hair. "Len, not that I'm not enjoying all this, but what you mean by more often?"   

Eleanor could read insecurity in his eyes. She was not sure how to answer him, she knew she was happy and felt really good right now but she was still a bit insecure about all this and one thing she was sure of, she would confront her brother and Sebastian about all this situation. Breathing in and out, trying to put her head in order she finally spoke. "Look, Jasper, I … I know I want to be with you, of that I'm certain but I also want to clear everything up with my brother and of course with Sebastian if all you found out is true, I will not be able to keep working with him. I will not feel comfortable.” 

"You look pretty confident about that."   

"I am."   

 

* * *

Eleanor tried to talk in private with her brother twice during the day, but she failed so she decided to talk to Sebastian, at least that subject would be settle.   

Jasper spent the rest of the day with a strange feeling in his stomach, that something was wrong, but tried not to think about it.   

When the two meet again at the end of the day in the tunnels Eleanor looked relaxed, making Jasper feel a bit more confident. "So how was it?"   

"I couldn't talk with my brother but Sebastian spilled the beans for me."   

"And?"   

"So Robert did indeed call him, but according to him he said I had asked some questions about him and looked interested so with all that was going around in the palace and after I told him I was heartbroken, Robert thought it was a good idea for me to go work around the world on Sebastian’s new project. Robert knew about Sebastian’s idea of renewing his family houses, so he decided to give it a push. Sebastian swore to me that he had no bad intentions when he came here but he also confessed that he had a little crush on me and after this, I really understand his behavior around me."   

"Did he make a move on you?" 

Eleanor noticed the wrath in his voice. 

"No Jasper, he just... well sometimes he was too close or at least, I felt him too close to me." And no, she would not tell him about the nights that he slept in her bedroom like some kind of guardian. She always felt a bit uncomfortable about it but never could verbalize that feeling.  She always thought she was seeing things but she was not after all.    

Jasper came to hug her because he noticed he had been a bit harsh. "Are you ok?" He whispered.    

"I just feel... used... Yes, I think that's the feeling. And it's not good but I will get over it, don't worry. I just can't believe my brother did this to me. I... never mind. So what do you want to do tonight?"     

"As you wish your highness!" He said smiling, kissing her hand and bowing.    

"Do not make fun of me Jasper!"    

"I'm not, just let me know what you want to do."   

"What did you do at night when I was not around?"     

He lowered his gaze. He was not proud of how he spent his nights. "Well if I was not working or following Liam I basically was asleep or on the computer trying to ping your phone to see where you were."     

She raised his head and kissed him softly. "What about we binge watch our Tv shows?" She felt a little uncomfortable with the fact that he spent his nights stalking her, but she kind of understand his reasons and she will not kill the mood because of something like that.    

 "That sounds like a great idea!"   

* * *

 

 It took Eleanor two days to face her brother again and she had Jasper by her side when they meet. She knew she had promised Jasper she would not involve him in this but the heat that took over her body was rage and that anger just didn't let her think. So when she got close to her brother she, from out of the blue, took Jasper's hand and spoke directly to the King.   

"Hi brother, this is Jasper, my boyfriend! You know, the one you tried to get away from me? Well, news flash we are dating again and unlike you, he respects me enough to not treat me like cattle."  

"What?" Robert asked, astounded.  

"I know you tried to sell me to Sebastian, Robert, really low move even from you." Eleanor spat her words making a quotation sign with her hands when she said sell. The despise that she felt right now for her brother was enormous and had grown with the hard time that he was giving her by always looking too busy to talk to her.  

"I'm not even going to answer you, just behave and remember what you are." Robert’s words hurt her like a stab wound. This wasn't her brother for sure. But she would not lose her time with him. Turning her back on him dragging Jasper with her, she simply left the room adding, "Never mess with my love life again brother, never..."   

When they were alone, Jasper held her and spoke low. "Shh! It's ok Len."    

"I'm ok Jasper!"    

"You are shaking!" He said, picking up her hand and kissing her. Hugging her again he caressed her hair until he felt her body relax slowly.   

"He really can get on my nerves... this is not my brother Jasper, I don't recognize him at all."    

"Hey, it's ok. You said what you wanted and we will deal with him together. You are not alone in this Len. Ok?" Jasper made her face him gently and noticed her watery eyes. With his thumb, he wiped away a tear that was about to fall and kissed her forehead. "Hey! I'm here now!"   

She just nodded her head and took him to her bedroom by the hand. That night they made love again. They enjoyed each other with no hurry, with no hustle, once again but with much love and desire. They fell asleep in each other's arms all cuddled up in the sheets. When the sun came up Jasper brushed her hair aside and kissed her neck before leaving the bed to get ready to work. She tried to ask him where he was going but was too sleepy and just mumbled something incomprehensible with her arm up and calling him. He approached the bed and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I have to go, I like to be the first to come in and your mother requested your presence at her breakfast, we know that means almost lunch, so I thought you could sleep a while more."  

"Thank you," she said, smiling and turning back to sleep.  

* * *

The breakfast with her mother was normal, the queen too was astonished by her son’s actions and she too was living on the short leash of King Robert and was not enjoying it.  

"Eleanor I just wanted to say that you have all my support!"  

"And what does that mean mother?"  

"It means I will face your brother if he tries to mess with your life again."  

Eleanor smiled and drank the rest of the coffee. "Thank you, mom. But I think I need more than that. I think maybe we need to act. I don't know how but we can't allow him to treat us like this. Liam is right, Robert doesn't deserve to be the king."   

"I will take care of it," were the queen’s last words before she started to get ready for the day, showing Eleanor that it was time for her to leave.   

"Oh and I'm very happy to know that you and Jasper are back together."  

"And how do you know that we are back together, mom?"   

"Your smile doesn’t lie!" The queen said already leaving the room.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment and thank you so much for reading.


	11. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final chapter people. Thank you so much for reading and making this journey with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @justkillingtimewhikeiwait I can't thank you enough!

Jasper had sat on that bed and played with Eleanor's hair every single night since they got back together. Losing themselves in each others gaze was their way to reconnect.  

She still had some work to finish for Sebastian, she didn't intent to meet him anymore, but she left a project in the middle so these days she mostly had been working on it to finish and send it back to him. It was a great experience, after all, she renovated three houses and left them ready to use as Sebastian wished. This interior design thing turned out to be something really amazing for her and she was sure that she would keep working in that field.

The king still drove Jasper nuts most days, but at the least he didn't need to tail Liam anymore, apparently, the fights were over for him and by the smile that he had these days, Jasper almost could bet that Katheryn was back into his friend's life again.  

* * *

"I want to renovate my room again!"

"What? Why? We painted it last year and I kind of like this new cover? It was your work, don't you like it anymore?" Jasper asked, not wishing to beat around bushes again.

"I do but I want something new like to mark our new beginning, you know?"

"Ok... so why don't you organize a party!"

"I'm not a party girl anymore Jasper!" She said a little disappointed.

"Not in that way Len, a party to celebrate us, for us, not for the world... Do you get it?"

She looked at him thinking about his words, maybe it could be a good thing.

"I will think about it," she said and raised herself to kiss him.

* * *

Three days later, the closest friends of Jasper and Eleanor boarded a boat on the River Thames.  

She had accepted Jasper’s suggestion and chose a small group of friends and family to celebrate her comeback to the Palace and of course her reconnection with Jasper. But she decided that she didn't want to do it in the Palace, mostly because she didn't want to be near her older brother on a day like this. She didn't invite her uncle either because she was not sure what he and Liam had going on and didn't want a bad vibe on her party. But she invited her mother, although she gently declined, saying that she was not in the mood for parties which lead Eleanor to think that she was upset with something but couldn't really tell what but she was almost sure that King Robert had something to do with it.  

Her brother Liam, on the other hand, couldn't have looked happier. He came to the party holding hands with Katheryn and the smile in his eyes said it all.

James observed the small crowd from behind, he had also been invited to the party but of course, he was also working. He couldn't quite put behind the fact that this was a royalty party. But most of these people had become family to him, and to his daughter. Sarah Alice walked around the group like she was at home, he was very grateful for the ones who helped him with her, especially Jasper. He was the most attentive with her and he put up with all her child plays, once he even found her curling Jasper's hair with wax.

But today, Sarah Alice was more around Liam, for some reason. James didn't even know they were that close, but Liam was playing with her hair while she was telling something to Katheryn, something that seemed like gossip, from Katheryn’s expressions.

He called her out about it and she said Liam always played with her when the King locks out Jasper from his Chambers and today Jasper and Eleanor needed some time alone because they were apart for too long. James couldn't be more proud of his little girl and more anxious about how this young girl read people so easily. He tried to have her around him a while to let the grownups enjoy their party but she ran away calling Jasper's name when she heard the start of a new song that was playing. As surprising as it was, Eleanor didn't have a DJ, she just brought her mix table and put some playlists on and checked it from time to time. 

"Look Jasper it's your song!" Sarah Alice yelled running to him. "You are the reason" by Calum Scott was playing.  

Eleanor looked at him, puzzled face. "Your song?"  

"Jasper heard this song over and over when you were working far from us. He said it reminds him what he had to do, but I never understand what he meant by that." Sarah explained.

Eleanor knew the song too well. "Care to explain Jasper?" She asked teasingly. 

"I... well the lyrics are very … it fits us perfectly..." 

Eleanor made a mental note to hear the song again in a more quiet place. Trying not to embarrass Jasper too much, she just kissed him softly and smiled at his assumptions.  

Katheryn approached Eleanor with a shy smile. "I want to thank you!"

Eleanor looked surprised. She had just come close to the mixing table, to change to something more cheerful and was caught by surprise by her words. "For what?"

"Your talk with Liam made him come back to me and mostly made him look at himself again like he was worthy and that really changed him."

"I did it for my brother, I am happy that he is happy, but I'm not completely happy with the fact that you chose Robert over him." Eleanor spoke hard to her and didn't look happy.

"I didn't choose, Robert made that choice, he basically claimed me for himself and then through me away like I was some object."

"Well, that's Robert!"

"Not the Robert I use to know!" Katheryn added sadly.  

Eleanor saw in her eyes that she was being honest in her words, and more than anyone else, she knew how it was to be used by her older brother. "It's not the Robert I used to know either.  But he is the one we have now so we need to deal with it. I didn't want to sound mean, but I want you to know that I will not be friendly if you brake my brother's heart again. Liam deserves some peace in his life."

"I don't intent too! And we are very happy now!"

"I notice!" Eleanor said with a half-smile that gave some hope to Katheryn.  

Seeing that she was still insecure about her words, Eleanor hugged her. "Look I... I just want him to be happy ok? Sorry about my ways. Its just … Well just know you have my total support and I'm happy for you. Maybe we will become friends one day..."

Eleanor walked close to Liam, with Katheryn, in a way to showed her that she really was ok with them. Liam fished his phone from his pocket and make a face when he saw the caller ID.

"Why didn't you answer?" Eleanor asked.

"It's Uncle Cirus! I'm done with him and his crazy moves."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just thought I could trust him for a moment, but I was totally wrong. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. Too much craziness in his head." Liam concluded, giving Eleanor another feeling of relief. She was worried about this new friendship and she didn't trust their uncle for sure.  

"Happy to know that, well happy to know that you are not planning some crazy move with that mad man."

"I'm not, don't worry and I'm ok Len, don't worry about me. " Liam added, pulling Katheryn to his side.

Eleanor contemplated her brother, he really looked happy and comfortable around his girl, thought that made her scan the boat to find Jasper.

* * *

The party was a great idea, but both Jasper and Eleanor were dying for some time alone, so her room was the first place they went as soon as they got to the Palace.

"Oh, I missed you all day!" Jasper said nuzzling her.

"You had me all day Jasper, don't be greedy."  

"You know what I mean."

She kissed him and pulled him to the bed by her side. "I do!"

"Len?"  

"What Jasper?" She loved to call him this way. "Wait! Before you say what you want to say. Why that song?"

Jasper didn't answer right away.  

"It... It's like the guy wrote what I was thinking every single day that you were away from me."

She smiled and grabbed her phone. "You are the reason" started to play again, and they listened to it in silence, holding hands. Their song. Their guide to come back to each other.

"Len?"

"What?"

"I want to grow old with you!" He said slowly caressing her face.

"What does that mean?"

"Means whatever you want, since I can be by your side. I want to grow old with you and when I kiss you I want to say you still take my breath away. I want this for us. Do you want this?"

Eleanor felt her eyes watering. What more she could ask from this man. She never felt more loved than she felt this moment. "Yes, Jasper I want to grow old with you!"

"You made me the happiest man alive. I love you so much!"

"I love you too!" She said kissing him deeply. He hugged her tight like he was going to lose her. "I really do Jasper!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fell free to comment and let me know what your thoughts on the ending. Once again thank you so much for reading ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! And feel free to comment, I would love to read you're reviews.


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